


A fault in your code

by unacaritafeliz



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Chris isn't paid enough for this shit, Gen, theyre talking about nursey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-27 19:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18198431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/unacaritafeliz
Summary: "What's up?" Chris asks. He only removes one of his earbuds."It's nothing," Dex says.The appropriate response - if Chris were talking to anyone with more than a single molecule of emotional intelligence - would be to insist that it was not, in fact, nothing. But, as Chowder is talking to Dex, he keeps typing his code."Well, if you're sure," he says.[Dex talks to Chris. Chris is a better friend than anyone really deserves].





	A fault in your code

When Dex falls face first onto Chris's bed with a groan loud enough to belong to Holster, Chowder doesn't even look up from his coding homework.

"What's up?" he asks. He only removes one of his earbuds.

It's not that he doesn't care. Chris is very good at caring about his friends, which means he's very good at knowing what they need in order to feel comfortable enough to share their stories. Bitty, for example, will reveal around 47% more feelings in the kitchen than he will in any other location. Nursey, on the other hand, opens up the most when he's in Chris's bed, with Chris spooned up behind him.

And Dex? Well, the only way to get Dex to talk is to pretend you're only half listening. The fucker is way too prideful to show any emotions if he thinks they're actually being listened to.

"It's nothing," Dex says.

The appropriate response - if Chris were talking to anyone with more than a single molecule of emotional intelligence - would be to insist that it was not, in fact, nothing. But, as Chowder is talking to Dex, he keeps typing his code.

"Well, if you're sure," he says.

"It's just.... This is going to sound stupid..." Dex says. He sighs, loud and dramatic. "I'm upset how few people are turning up for my birthday tonight."

Chris risks a glance over his shoulder to see Dex is now lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, and rolls his eyes. Honestly, despite Dex ridiculing Nursey for being petty and dramatic, Dex is easily 1000% worse. He's acting like this is the worst conversation possible, even though it wouldn't even be a bad conversation, if only Dex could have it like a regular human.

"That's fair, Dex," says Chris, turning back to his computer. He saves his code and switches windows to try and run it. "It sucks none of the boys could make it back."

"But like, I understand why none of the alums could come," says Dex. "Like yeah, logically it makes sense for them to come for your birthday last fortnight and then for the Halloween Kegster this weekend. It doesn't make sense for anyone to make a third trip out for my birthday, randomly in the middle, especially with how busy they are. I get that, but..."

"But emotional brains are not logical," says Chris. He frowns at his screen; the code runs, but the test are failing - there must be an error in his logic. "Congratulations, you really are human after all."

"Fuck off," says Dex, says entirely without heat. "I guess, I just thought at least one of them would come? Like Lardo, at least? We were bros, right? And it's not like she has school or work or..."

"Will," Chris interrupts, pulling out his other earbud. He may have spent the last two years trying to play Switzerland, but he knows now that he has to speak up when he hears something wrong. "Just because Lardo doesn't have work or school doesn't mean she can drop her life and come here whenever we want her to."

Dex sighs. "I know, I know," he says. "I'm sorry. I know it's unreasonable - and I would never ever say it to her face - but I just... I don't know... It just feels like none of them care enough about me to come. Which I know is wrong and untrue, but it's how I feel."

"It's valid to feel that way," says Chris, setting a breakpoint halfway through the code. "But... okay, don't take this the wrong way but you've never really liked having attention on you? Like you almost killed Nursey and I for throwing you that party last year. I'm sure the guys just didn't think you'd care about whether they were here or not - hell, some of them probably thought you didn't want them to come."

"Wait, what?" Dex says. "I didn't almost kill you guys at my birthday last year? I liked that Kegster. I had a good time."

Chowder frowns, even though he knows Dex can't see it. The picture of the frogs from the party last year, a heavily frowning Dex between a smirking Nursey and a grinning Chris, is still vivid in Chris' memory. It had upset him more than anyone but Farmer really knew. But then again, he should have known Dex was just pretending to be inconvenienced; it's not like Dex's ever known how to properly appreciate his friends.

"Really?" Chris asks, his voice slightly too faux-casual to be believable. "Because I have several photos from that night that suggest otherwise."

Dex doesn't have a response to that, so Chris turns back to his screen. He quickly switches to messenger and texts the entire roster - excluding Dex, of course - a reminder to come to the birthday dinner for Dex this evening, before going back to his code. Dex may be an emotionally repressed lobster, but he's Chris's emotionally repressed lobster and he still deserves a decent birthday.

The room is silent, except for the sounds of both boys breathing and Chris's staggered clicking and typing as he tries to work out what's wrong with his program. Everything looks right, but the recursive function doesn't seem to be setting one of his variables correctly in the data frame. He moves the breakpoint into the function, a dozen or so lines before the return statement, and hits run.

"You know, Nurse isn't even coming tonight?" says Dex. Chris thinks he's trying to sound unaffected, but Chowder is well-versed at spotting fake chill these days, regardless of which one of his friends it's coming from. "He left the Haus just now with Foxtrot. I heard him telling Wicky that they're staying in Boston overnight."  
  
Chris hums in acknowledgement. He knows this, and has known it for a couple of days. Nursey had come to his room last week asking for advice on whether Dex would have a better birthday if Nursey wasn't in the Haus. Chris had said that Nursey should do what he wants regardless of what Dex thinks. Nursey, predictably, hadn't listened, and had done what he thought Dex had wanted him to, as if that had ever worked out for him before.

At least Foxtrot went to Boston with him. Chris figures she's got enough sense for them both.

"Do you think they're dating?" Dex asks, suddenly. "Nursey and Foxtrot?"

It's such an unexpected question that Chris actually turns around at that, feeling his eyebrows shoot up toward his hairline. "Uh, what?" he asks.

"Uh, Nurse and Ford?" Dex repeats. His ears have turned red; the colour staining down to his cheeks, which are a soft shade of pink. "Do you think they're dating?"

"No, of course they're not dating," says Chris. Nursey and Foxtrot act like siblings, not a couple. He doesn't know what Dex is seeing. "Dex, where is this coming from?"

Dex's face turns a darker shade of red. Chris would spend good money to understand just what the fuck happens in Will Poindexter's brain, because it's been two and a half years and Chowder is still clueless.

"I don't know," Dex mumbles at the roof. "They're always together."

"Yes, because they're friends," Chris explains. He turns back to his code. The breakpoint doesn't really seem to be helping his debugging. He cuts his test data down to only the problematic rows and runs it again.

"I hardly ever see him anymore," Dex says. "You know he doesn't come to practice since he broke his arm, and I'm sure you noticed that he barely spends any time in the common areas. And whenever I do see him he doesn't talk to me."

Chris hums in acknowledgement. He doesn't really know what point Dex is trying to make. He knows Dex spent the beginning of the year trying to get Nursey to leave him alone, but he doesn't know why Dex would brag to Chris about it. Chris loves Nursey, and Dex knows it. He frowns at his code

"I miss him," Dex says, almost so quietly that Chowder almost doesn't hear it. "I didn't think I would."

And that's... well, it's completely expected that Dex would miss Nursey - Chris has known for years that Dex likes Nursey's company and attention a lot more than he'd ever admit, and probably a lot more than he realises - but the fact that Dex is admitting it, out loud and shameless? That's the last thing that Chris expected.

He turns around again.

"You miss him?" Chris questions.

Dex's face is flushed bright red. "Yeah," says Dex. "He... uh... When I moved out of Lardo's room, I didn't mean I didn't want him to ever talk to me again."

"First or all, it's Nursey's room, not Lardo's," Chris says. Dex's eyes widen. "And second of all, I feel like that's kind of what you did mean? That's definitely what I thought you meant."

"I didn't," says Dex. "Or... maybe I did? I don't know. It's all kind of blurry, I'm not sure I even knew what I was doing or what I wanted. But it can't have been this, Chow. I don't... I just want my friend back."

Chris bites his lip. He's heard Nursey call Dex his friend - never to Dex's face, of course - but he's never heard Dex return the sentiments. Dex obviously, if somewhat begrudgingly, respects and cares about Nursey, but he's always been adamant that Nursey is a source of pain and suffering in his life.

"Maybe you should say that to Nursey," Chris suggests.

Dex shakes his head. "Why?" he asks. "It doesn't matter what I say; it's not like he's going to forgive me. It's not like we can be friends or whatever now."

"It wouldn't be the first time that Nursey's forgiven you without getting the apology he deserves," Chris says. Dex at least has the decency to look kind of ashamed of himself. "Look, Dex, I'm not going to pretend that you didn't hurt him. But I really do think that all he wants to hear now is that you don't actually hate him as much as you say you do. That's it."

"It can't be that easy," Dex says.

Chris doesn't even try to refrain from rolling his eyes. It is 100% that easy, he's just friends with the two most stubborn humans on the planet. God, they're luckily he loves them because no amount of money would be enough reimbursement for having to put up with this bullshit.

"You and Nursey are so set on not understanding each other," says Chris. "All Derek wants is to be liked, Will. He's never known what to do with you pretending not to like him."

"I'm not pretending," Dex grumbles. It's unconvincing, and would be even without the context of the conversation they've been having.

"No," says Chris. "Except you miss him."

"Except I miss him," Dex echoes. He shakes his head. "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Probably tomorrow," says Chowder.

Dex nods. "Okay," he says. "I should go get ready for dinner. I'll see you down there right?"

"Dex," Chris says, seriously. "It's your birthday. I'd never miss it."

"Thanks, C," says Dex with a smile. "For, y'know..."

Dex trails off; he's clearly exhausted his supply of emotional intelligence for the day and can't complete his sentence. He rolls off the bed, looks up at Chris and hesitates for a moment before rushing over, hugging Chris, and leaving the room before Chris can even respond. Chris stares at the closed door to his room. Dex is so weird, but he's trying and Chris definitely appreciates that.

Chris turns back to his code and frowns; there's still a bug there that needs fixing. He rereads the recursive function and notices that the last two lines are indented so that they lie inside his final "If" statement, but they should be run regardless. He moves them outside the statement, and runs the test again.

The build goes green.

**Author's Note:**

> Does this have a point? Not really, but I really wanted to post something and I've been working on this for a while. I've written (parts of) a few things like this; just the SMH hanging out and supporting each other. The others are better because Nursey is in them. Hopefully I'll post them all one day.
> 
> Also I imagine that Chowder, unlike me, is all about the TDD (test driven development). However I also imagine Chowder sometimes forgets to untab his Python code properly and therefore has code inside his if statements that very much do not belong there, which is something I do practically every day.


End file.
